If Senator Bong Revilla wants to keep saying that he wants to be president of the Philippines one day, then let him be. That what the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is telling those who have an issue with the actor-politician’s declarations.
“Comelec Spokesman James Jimenez said in an interview that Sen. Bong Revilla is not violating election laws by going around the country claiming the plunder charges against him were meant to derail his plan to run for president in the 2016 polls,” reports Leslie Ann Aquino in Manila Bulletin.
Jimenez explained: “Technically speaking, it cannot be called premature campaigning because he is not a candidate yet.” He also cited Republic Act 9369, the Poll Automation Law, that states “any person who files his certificate of candidacy (COC) shall only be considered as a candidate at the start of the campaign period.”
Meanwhile, Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes earlier said “Revilla is still qualified to run in the 2016 since he has not been convicted of any crime.”
Screengrab from a GMA News video
